Journal box



Aug. 9, 1938. F. K. MURPHY JOURNAL BOX Filed May 7, 1936 v/////I /I/I/11 Patented Aug. 9, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

It is the object of my invention to provide in a railway-car journal-box means for preventing the entrance of water into the journal-box waste.

In carrying out my invention I make the lower 5 portion of the front and side walls of the journalbox hollow, and I provide for communication between the upper portion of the cavity in the hollow walls and the interior of the journal-box, whereby any water which enters the upper portion of the journal-box or which condenses upon the side or front walls thereof will run down such walls'and enter the cavity in the lower portion thereof from which it is removed by a suitable drain.

The accompanying drawing illustrates my invention: Fig. 1 is a vertical transverse section through a railway-car journal-box on the line i! of Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is a vertical axial section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a fragmental view similar to Fig. l but on an enlarged scale; Fig. 4 is a fragmental vertical section on the line 4--4 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 5 is a fragmental horizontal section on the line 55 of Fig. 2.

Inthe journal-box I shown in the drawing the curved bottom of the box is made hollow to provide .a cavity ll which extends well up the sides and front of the box substantially to the upper surface of the waste 12 therein and opens at its the cavity H to stiffen the inner face of the bottom of the box. The journal-box ispreferably, although not necessarily an integral casting, with the cavity formed by a core.

With the construction described, any water running down the side walls of the box, instead of entering the waste l2, will enter the cavity II from which it may readily be drained. Preferably, the cavity is drained by a generally U- shaped conduit l which opens exteriorly at the inner end of the journal-box and which provides a trap adapted to seal the interior of the journal-box from the admission of air.

J ournal-boxes are customarily made with doors or lids it which occupy an inclined position and the upper portion of which lies above the journalbox waste. To prevent water collecting on the inner surface of the lid from dropping into the journal-box waste, I prefer to employ a shield I! in the form of a sheet-metal member which is secured in spaced relation to the inner face of the lid [6. The lower edge of the shield I! is disposed at the front of the box above the opening of the cavity ll, whereby any water drops ping from the door l6 will run down the shield I1 and be discharged from the lower edge thereof into the cavity II.

To prevent the loss of any oil thrown by centrifugal force by the flange or collar 20 on the end of the journal 2|, the bridge-portions l3 at the sides of the box are preferably located in the plane of the collar 20 and their upper surface is made trough-shaped to confine laterally any downwardly flowing oil and direct it into the journal-box waste. If desired, the side walls of the journal-box, for a short distance above the bridges l3, may be provided with spaced ribs 22 which serve to prevent oil from escaping laterally into the cavity II, where it would be lost.

I believe that, especially in cold weather, at least some of the water collecting in the journalbox results from condensation of moisture upon the inner surfaces of the journal-box walls. In my construction the cavity ll serves to provide heat-insulation for the metal which is in contact with the waste; and, as air can circulate freely through the cavity, any condensation will occur therein rather than in the waste compartment.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination with a railway-car axle having journals and a collar adjacent each journal, a journal-box receiving each journal and its associated collar, said journal-box being formed with hollow walls to provide a cavity which, at its top, communicates with the interior of the journal-box through an opening positioned to receive water running down the inner surface of the journal-box walls, said journal-box being provided with bridge-portions bridging said cavity at the top thereof in the plane of said collar, said cavity also being provided with a drain.

2. A railway car journal-box having an inclined lid closing an open end thereof, the lower portion of said journal-box being formed with hollow walls to provide a cavity, said cavity at it's top communicating with the interior of the journal-box through an opening extending across the front of the journal-box adjacent said lid, a shield mounted on said lid in spaced relation to the inner surface of said lid in position to receive water falling therefrom, the lower edge of said shield being disposed over said opening whereby water falling from the shield will pass through said opening into said cavity, and a drain for said cavity.

3. A railway car journal-box, the lower portion of said journal-box being formed with hollow walls to provide a cavity, said cavity at its top communicating with the interior of the journal-box through an opening including portions which extend longitudinally of said journal-box along the sides thereof to receive water running down the inner surface of the side walls of the journal-box, and a drain for said cavity.

4. The invention set forth in claim 3 with the addition that said journal-box is formed as an integral casting.

5. The invention set forth in claim 3 with the addition that said drain includes a. U-shaped portion forming a trap.

FRED K. MURPHY. 

